Celtic signed West Bromwich Albion’s Oliver Burke on-loan during the recently concluded season.
Craig Beattie has claimed that Oliver Burke has ‘tarnished’ his reputation at Celtic as he compared him with former Premier League flop Mario Balotelli.
Versatile attacker Burke was on a season-long loan at Parkhead from West Brom during the recently concluded campaign as he failed to impress supporters with his performances.
Burke is a winger by trade, but under Brendan Rodgers and then Neil Lennon, he was utilised in a forward role rather than deployed out wide.
The Scotland international will now return to his parent club as Beattie thinks Burke will struggle to find a new club as he claimed that he is going to ‘turn into’ Mario Balotelli.
“I was watching the game and I was hesitant to say it, but I’m scared that Oli Burke is going to turn into a [Mario] Balotelli,” Beattie told Herald Scotland. “I think he has all the ability in the world – he is so quick, so strong, his physique is incredible. There is no question he could improve his first touch but he has so much ability and so much potential.
“But I just watch him at times and think he doesn’t know where to run, he doesn’t want to run. I don’t know whether it is that he doesn’t want to do it or just hasn’t learned it yet. He has tonnes of ability but someone needs to get it out of him regularly.
“He is going to struggle [to find a club] because it is no secret what the English perception of Scottish football is. They [English clubs] will be looking at Oli Burke, coming up here with a huge reputation and two huge price tags, and he can’t get a game for Celtic. When he goes back down south, his reputation is going to be tarnished.”
Striker Balotelli served two spells in England’s top flight, first at Manchester City and then later at Liverpool when he moved to Anfield for a fee of £16 million [BBC Sport].
Whilst he won the Premier League title at the Etihad, he turned out to be a complete flop at Anfield and struggled to prove his worth as he later on moved to ply his trade in France.
Burke still has a long way to go in his career and it is fair to say that his character is completely different to that of Balotelli’s
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